Ice cuber



1936. c. F. BELSHAW ET AL. 2,030,735

ICE CUBER Filed Aug. 5, 1933 lmgm'oRs 22% A'l TO RN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE ocean Application August 5, 1933, Serial No. 683,732

" 10 Claims. (cite-112i This invention relates to ice cubers which are adapted to be placed upon a cake of ice to-form cubes therein.

The principal object of the invention is to form ice cubes in an ice cake in a'relatively short time by heating a grid to meltthe ice whereby the grid will sink into the ice cake to define cubes.

Another object is to completely form a prede termined number of cubes and partly form a fur- D ther number of cubes in a single operation of the cuber and in a subsequentoperation complete the formation of the previously partly formed cubes and completely form a further predetermined number of cubes. I 5 a further object is toprovide an ice cuber which will sink uniformly into an ice cake. V

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the .ice cuber.

Fig. .2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of. Fig. 1 showing the ice cuber in use on a cake 0f ice which is partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one corner of the tank forming part of the cuber and showing the port of the tank partly in section, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the ice cuber showing its application on a cake of ice, the ice cuber being partly broken away.

Referring to the drawing, the ice cuber is com- 0 posed of a flat metal tank 5 and a metal grid 6. At one comer of the tank is a port I for filling the tank with warm water and for emptying the watr out of the tank. The port is soldered, welded or secured in any suitablemanner to the 5 tank and is threaded on the outer end thereof to receive a cap 8. The grid 6 is formed of one or more thin metal strips bent to shape and fastened to the bottom of the tank 5 by soldering. welding or in any other suitable manner. In the, 0 form of the invention herein shown, the grid forms a plurality of cubical recesses v9 arranged in two outside rows in and II and a central row II. The walls of the grid are of 'zigzag formation comprising sections arranged at about a =5 ninety degree angleto each other.- The outer side walls form recesses 9' approximately onehalf of the size of the recesses 9. Small openings I 3 are providedv in-the strips at or near the tank to permit escape of the entrapped air and drainage of the water from the recesses.

Ice cubes are made by use of this invention by filling the tank 5 through the port I with hot water and placing the grid on the top surface of a cake of ice ll. The heat from the water will through the metal grid to the ice whereby the grid will sink into the ice cake to define cubes of ice in the cubical recesses of the grid. Vhere the ice cuber is placed on an uneven or tilted top surface of the ice the warm water in the 5' tank will rise to the high part of the tilted tank thereby transmitting more heat to the high part of the ice through the grid at the high part of the cuber than'will be transmitted to the ice at the. lower part of the cuber where the water is 10 not so warm thus tendingto maintain the cuber in a level position.

In practice the ice cuber is first placed on the top surface of the cake at one side thereof and preferably at one corner thereof, and when it sinks into the ice complete cubes will be formed corresponding to the recesses 9 and part cubes will be formed corresponding to the recesses 9 and these complete cubes and the outside part cubes may be easily removed from the cake by using an ice pick or other suitable instrument. Then the ice cuber is positioned on the top surface of thecake in registration with the part" cubes remaining on the" cake and when the ice cuber sinks into the ice this time it will complete the formation of those previously formed part cubes, and also form complete cubes in the recesses 9 and some additional part cubes. This operation may be repeated as often as desired. Thus, by having the grid-constructed as shown for example there will be seventeen complete the purpose but we are aware that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made and we reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims:

We claim: 1 e 1. An ice cuber adapted to be placed on an ice cake for forming ice cubes and comprising a tank for carrying a fluid heating medium, and a grid arra ged beneath the tank to conduct heat from said heating medium to said ice cake.

. fluid heating'medium, and a heat conductive grid fastened to the tank to conduct heat from said heating medium to the icecake.

i5 be conducted from the metal tank into and} 3. Anicecubercomprisingatank-for ing medium to the ice cake. said grid having a plurality of enclosed completely formed cubical 1 upon an ice cake to conduct heat from the heatrecesses and a plurality of outside part cube recesses. v

4. An ice cuber comprising a tank for carrying a heating medium, and a gridcooperatively as sembled with thetankand adapted to be arranged upon an ice cake to conduct heat from the heating medium to the ice cake, said grid being formed of zigzag metal strips arranged to provide a plurality of enclosed cubical recesses and a plurality of outside part cube recesses.

5. An ice cuber comprising a tank fo'r' carrying a heating medium, and a grid cooperatively assembled with the tank and adapted to be arranged upon an ice cake to conduct heat from the heating medium to the ice cake, said grid comprising a plurality of zigzag walls forming a plurality of enclosed cubical recesses and a plurality of outside part cube recesses.

6. An ice cuberadapted to be placed on an ice cake for forming ice cubes and-comprising a fiat tank for carrying a heating medium, and a heat conductive grid fastened to the bottom of the .tank, said grid being formed of zigzag walls and providing a plurality of enclosed cubical recesses and a plurality of outside part cube recesses surrounding the enclosed cubical recesses.

7. Anice cuber adapted to be placedon an ice cake for forming ice cubes andv comprising a tank for carrying a fluid heating medium, and a heat conductive grid fastened to the underside of said tank and adapted to conduct heat irom said heating medium to the ice cake, said grid having recesses therein to define the ice cubes and there being openings in the'grid adjacent the bottom of the tank to permit the escape of entrapped air and water therethrouzh. V

8. An ice cuber adapted to be placed on an ice cake {or forming ice cubes and comprising a tank for carrying a fluid heating medium and having a flat bottom, and a heat conductive grid fastened tov the bottom of the tank to conduct heat from said heating medium to the ice cake.

9. An-icecuber adapted to be placed on an ice cake for forming ice cubes and comprising a closed tank for ca ryin a fluid heating medium and having a port for filling and emptying the tank, a closure for said port, and a grid arranged beneath the tank to conduct heat from said heating medium to said ice cake,

10. An ice cuber adapted to be placed on an ice cake for forming ice cubes and comprising a tank for carrying a fluid heating medium, and a heatconductive grid arranged beneath the tank to conduct heat from said heating medium to said ice cake, said grid having openings below the bottom of the tank to permit the escape of air and water from the grid.

r CHARLES F. BELSHAW. WILLIAM J. LA CASSE.

.DISQL IMEh 2 030 735. Uharles F. Bclshaw and William J. Lo Qasse Duluth, Minn. ICE CUBER. Patentdated February 11,1936. Dlsclal mer filed November 8, 1938, by the assignee, The Ooolemtor Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1,2, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of sand Letters Patent.

[Ofic'lal Gazette December 6, 1988.1- 

